1st phase of Johnny Mac’s beer garden may be done by summer
Mezzanine, façades to come later
A large-scale extension of Johnny Mac’s House of Spirits could be underway soon, with the first phase of construction scheduled for completion by this summer.
John McGillion, owner of the Main Street tavern, attended the Feb. 25 planning board meeting with his architect and engineer to present plans to the board. The board tabled McGillion’s application until the next meeting, scheduled for Monday, March 11, at 7 p.m. in council chambers.
The board chose not to approve the application at Monday’s meeting because they would like to see three clearly designated phases for construction. McGillion’s architect and engineer described the three construction phases to the board, but the board said they’d like to see the phases rendered, complete with timelines for when each phase will be complete.
Johnny Mac’s is located at 208 Main St. Just north of the tavern is a parking lot. The building housing the restaurant Bistro Olé is adjacent to the lot. McGillion purchased the Bistro Olé building last year. He plans to keep Bistro Olé as a first-floor tenant, but he will build a new tavern, Mary Mac’s Libation Station, on the second floor, he said.
Mary Mac’s and Johnny Mac’s will be joined by a beer garden and mezzanine, both with outdoor tables and seating [pictured above], in what is now the parking lot. McGillion will also add a third and fourth floor to the buildings in the rear of the parking lot. Those areas will be available for weddings and events.
McGillion hopes to project classic movies on the north-facing wall of Johnny Mac’s as well.
“We just want to create a building that’s going to be helpful to Asbury, especially with the location close to the train,” McGillion said. “We want to compete against the ocean.”
The front portion of the parking lot area will consist of a façade creating the effect of an Irish village, McGillion said.
Planning board members took issue with the balconies attached to the façades because they would pass over the sidewalk. They advised McGillion’s architect to revise the plans with the balconies pushed back into the building.
The balconies in the rear portion of the property are permissible because they don’t affect the city’s right-of-way.
The reconstruction will cause McGillion to give up 21 parking spots. He would be willing to contribute to the city’s parking fund if necessary, he said.
The first phase of construction will consist of the two outdoor bars closest to the Johnny Mac’s building, said architect Carolyn Feigin. A partition will enclose the bars, and the area will be open for summer. The bar will use existing trash enclosures.
The second phase, consisting of the entire first-floor construction in the parking lot area, will take about one year, as will the third phase, which consists of the upper mezzanine, the façades and Mary Mac tavern. The entire project will likely take about three years, McGillion said.
Planning board members asked what would happen if construction stalls after phase one. McGillion and Feigin will come back with a proposal at the next meeting for making the outdoor bar area more aesthetically appealing in the event that it must stay up longer than about six months.
Planning board member Robert Feinstein took issue with large heat lamps proposed for installation as an awning on the front portion of Johnny Mac’s. He said the heat lamps may not be aesthetically pleasing, and would make the historic Johnny Mac’s building inconsistent with other architecture within the central business district.
The lamps were included so that patrons could be outside year round, McGillion said. But Feinstein pointed out that heat lamps are included in the beer garden plans, so they may not be necessary in the front of the buiding.
The board did not ask McGillion to remove the heat lamps, although they will likely be discussed further on March 11.
At the March meeting, McGillion will bring renderings and timelines for the first two phases, as well as a rendering of phase three without the balconies on the façades. Even with the slight delay in approval of the project, the first phase will likely be complete by summer, McGillion said.
McGillion also owns the Candy Bar on Kingsley Avenue, which is currently under construction, as well as the YMCA building on Main Street, which he plans to convert into a hostel. He also owns several bars in New York City.
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[NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify some details in the construction plans.]
